Poor nations accommodate refugees more, says Oxfam report

The number of displaced people is currently at the highest ever recorded, surpassing even post-Second World War numbers, the UN says

When refugee crisis exacerbated last year, the rich countries were making all the noises. But a report by Oxfam reveals that countries accounting for more than half of the world economy shelter less than 9 per cent of refugees.

The US, China, the UK, France, Germany and Japan — the six major economies of the world — have been less receptive when it came to accommodating refugees.

Together these countries hosted only 2.1 million refugees, which comes 8.8 per cent of the total asylum seekers, the report said.

In these 2.1 million, Germany gave shelter to 700,000 people. The remaining 1.4 million were divided between the remaining five major countries.

Countries, which together constitute 2 per cent of the world’s GDP, hostedmore than half of the refugees.

Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, Lebanon, South Africa and Palestine host more than 12 million people despite their poor economic conditions.

“It is shameful so many governments are turning their back on the suffering of millions of vulnerable people who have fled their homes and are often risking their lives to reach safety,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of Oxfam International, in a statement.

“Poorer countries are shouldering the duty of protecting refugees when it should be a shared responsibility,” she added.

According to a United Nations report, one in 113 people is forced to flee his/her country due to persecution, violence or conflict. More than 65 million people were forced to flee their country last year, an increase of 5.8 million from previous year.

The UN says the number of displaced people is currently at the highest ever recorded, surpassing even post-Second World War numbers.

Though war in Syria has contributed mainly to the increase in refugees last year, people from Iraq, Burundi, Sudan, Yemen were also forced to flee due to conflicts emanating from political unrest in these countries.

Oxfam in its report says that the deal between European governments and Turkey have left thousands detained in Greece in “legal limbo”and non-governmental organisations fear it will set a dangerous precedent.